That Foolish Affinity With Toilet Paper

Every time friends visit my home and they finish using the bathroom, the conversation inevitably turns to toilet paper for the simple reason that I have none. Yep, my friends frequently come out of the bathroom aghast, sometimes even offended, that they just relieved themselves without having any toilet paper at hand.

I’ve been a bidet user for a good part of two years. Unfortunately, few of my friends have followed suit.

Unlike folks in many parts of Europe and Asia, Americans have an unusual affinity to toilet paper. Wiping themselves free from the remnants of their excretions seem so well-ingrained, it’s nearly impossible to get over.

For proof, try visiting a home and living trade show where bidet retailers have a booth. You’ll see people shy away, repulsed at the very idea of washing their posteriors instead of wiping it with paper.

The sad fact, however, is that bidets can clean dirt from those hard to reach areas better than brushing with paper can ever hope to do. If you get kechup on your hands, for instance, would you feel cleaner wiping it with a tissue or washing it over a running stream of water then patting it dry afterwards? The same holds true for your tush, believe it or not.

Different people have their own theories as to why Americans continue to make do with their toilet papers, even scenting and adorning them with flowery decorations. Whichever one you subscribe to, it’s hard to imagine how it can ever feel more hygienic and sanitary to clean yourself using them. With bidets, you don’t even need to touch the area, allowing the aerated stream of water to clean it out for you.

Why don’t you give the toilet paper some rest and try a bidet for once?